In the field of building construction, it is a common practice to install hung ceilings in new or existing structures. Various alternative structural systems and methods are used for hanging a support frame at the approximate level of the desired ceiling and then affixing tiles, panels or the like to the support frame. Such frames typically are formed from channels which, in cross section, are in the shape of a "T", an "I", or other known per se shape. They may be made from aluminum, steel, plastic or other materials that are suitable for the intended use. The tiles, panels and other surfacing materials commonly are made from cellulose, plastic, glass, and other appropriate materials.
Many such ceiling systems are known and in common use. However, many have shortcomings and difficulties that make them difficult to install, unattractive, or otherwise unacceptable in varying degrees. For example, an objection to many such systems is that they are not adapted to conceal the support frame members. In some, a resulting display of the geometric configuration of the support frame unacceptably compromises the aesthetics of the other ceiling constituents and of the ceiling as a whole. It is often difficult, or at least requires special steps, to level the support frame throughout its span to the extent necessary to produce a ceiling that is flat and planar, and is otherwise satisfactory functionally and in appearance. The source of this particular difficulty lies in the virtual impossibility of constructing the relatively heavy and large dimensioned frame of a building so that the bottom surfaces of the joist form a flat plane. The importance of this is that it is the under surfaces of these joist (which are referred to herein as "ceiling joist", although, typically they also serve as the floor joist for the floor next above) which form the base to which the ceiling is anchored. This problem has been addressed in a variety of ways. One is to attach narrow strips of wood, called "furring strips", to the underside of the ceiling joist at substantially right angles to the long direction of the joist. The effect of this is to average out undulations and other discontinuity in and as between the bottom surfaces of the floor joist collectively. However, frequently even this isn't sufficient, and shims and/or other adjustments means are resorted to in order to bring the support grid into an acceptable degree of parallelism. In the alternative, hanger wires, or threaded mounts, or pulley-like devices, or multi-holed straps or other such means are sometimes resorted to, particularly where a hung ceiling tile grid is being installed, in order to achieve the desired results.
In connection with the foregoing, reference is made to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,696,141, 4,760,671, 4,089,146, 4,169,340, 3,841,048, 3,942,561, 3,863,413, 3,988,871, 3,983,116, 3,995,823, 3,998,020, 3,798,419, 3,640,042, 3,708,941, 3,714,753, 3,742,674, 2,994,112, 2,996,765, 3,004,644, 3,093,548, 3,070,851, 3,344,465, 2,406,771, 1,578,964, 2,101,952, 2,389,171, 2,725,127, and 2,963,751.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide means for installing ceiling materials.
It is a further object to provide means for achieving the foregoing purpose by which a support structure may be perfected that is concealed.
A further object is to provide means for achieving the foregoing objectives in which the need is eliminated for adjustable supports, shims, furring strips, moveable hangers, and other distance modifiers for causing the support frame to be positioned in a flat planar orientation.
Still another object of this invention is to provide means for achieving the foregoing objectives wherein the support means includes means for establishing the planar position of the ceiling system.